August 1st, 2011
I can't say it enough, we are blessed to have the best people in the world surrounding Ryan. It is important to have good, positive people in Ryan's life. These will be his influences and the people he is going to look up to for direction. He needs to have great friends. To name a few: Tami (Mimi), from daycare, has been so helpful and works with him so much. She is so gentle and a non-yell'er it surprises me she is human. Ryan...as well as Ang and I, are so lucky to have her as his first teacher in these important first handful of years. Shailynn has been such a good older sister-figure, I know he will benefit from being around her as he gets older and help take care of him like Krista has her family for years. Then there is his Nana, Ang's mom, is just what he needs in a Grandma. She will pass along the same great characteristics that Ang's Grandma Carter instilled in Ang. Ang was around her Grandma everyday and with my mother in Florida, I am glad he has a grandparent just down the road. From her he will learn how Ang became a sweet, genuine person. Sometimes, I found, these great friends or influences can come from the most unlikely places. I go through Ryan's day to day making sure I weed out the unhealthy influences, shield him from bad habits, attitudes, lifestyles, language and so on. As I was shielding, I would do so at eye level and it never dawned on me to look down.
Ryan was playing on the living room floor one evening and Ryan was laughing. In an attempt to see what spurred this chuckle, I tore myself from a failing game of Angry Birds to find Ryan rolling around, pulling on Azzie's fur. Azzie just laid there and let him. he would meow ever so often in a firm, but friendly "ease up a bit there hos" meow tone. Then Ryan would scoot closer and tug at his ear, whiskers and then the inevitable tail pull. Now, before I go any further, I have to clarify some things. Ryan is not a gentle baby. He has a GI Joe kung-fu grip, the kick of a wild donkey and the swing of young Mike Tyson. So when Azzie, our fifteen pound, orange, tiger cat just lays there and takes the abuse, you start to wonder, hmmmm.
Just then, like a jumbo-tron showing an instant replay at a Packers game, Ryan's life started to flash in front of my eyes. It scrolled through like a Perry Mason movie ending...6 months, Azzie sleeping next to Ryan in our bed....5 months, Azzie and Ryan taking turns talking, Azzie let's Ryan win the contest...4 months, Azzie is massaging his head on Ryan's feet while eating...3 months, Ryan is in his bassinet crying and Azzie is laying at the base...2 months, Ryan comes home upset with new band-aids on his legs from his shots at the doctors-Azzie walks over and rubs up against Ryan and stops his crying....1 month, Azzie is doing the 2AM feeding and rocking Ryan in his kitty arms to stop his whaling from a colic fit....2 days old, Ryan comes home for the first time and Azzie had a "Welcome Home Ryan" banner hanging up and then changed his first diaper. Really, Azzie has been around Ryan's entire life and for the first few months of life, was his only daily interaction with people besides his mom and I. Whenever Ryan would have his colic fits as a newborn, seriously, Azzie would come into the room to either compete who's louder or just to be in the room as if he wanted to help. Either way all the other cats would run like we were starting the vacuum. Az always plays with Turdman on the Beekman and always tries to sneak through the gate during night feedings. He always wants to be in the room with Ryan no matter if it is the bedroom at night time, bath room during bath time.
This makes me happy Ryan has made such a good friend. Even though it isn't a conventional friend to have, it is a good positive influence, which he needs. Azzie is loyal, always there when you need him, never poops on the carpet, comforts Ryan when he isn't feeling well, he is always nicely dressed and almost never uses profanity. Even though they can't talk to each other, I have a feeling that they understand each other. Azzie says 'I have a tail and you think it is a toy' and Ryan thinks, 'you have a tail and I think it is a toy'. In closing, they always say that a dog is a man's best friend because it is loyal and has unconditional love. I feel that Azzie is Ryan's best friend because if anyone...anything...anycat that can cuddle you while you tug at his tail, whiskers or ears is either dumb or loyal and Azzie ain't no dummy. Sure he is just a cat and I know that life has more to offer than cats. Sure he will learn to be like his mama from his Nana, ever cared for by his teachers, Aunts(3), cousins and Uncles, learn great traits from his church and friends, but others can offer so much. Azzie is a true friend and I feel Ryan will learn from him to not just be loyal, but to be there for your friends no matter what - in good times and in bad times, happiness or hairballs, in pajamas or....well in fur.
Ryan was playing on the living room floor one evening and Ryan was laughing. In an attempt to see what spurred this chuckle, I tore myself from a failing game of Angry Birds to find Ryan rolling around, pulling on Azzie's fur. Azzie just laid there and let him. he would meow ever so often in a firm, but friendly "ease up a bit there hos" meow tone. Then Ryan would scoot closer and tug at his ear, whiskers and then the inevitable tail pull. Now, before I go any further, I have to clarify some things. Ryan is not a gentle baby. He has a GI Joe kung-fu grip, the kick of a wild donkey and the swing of young Mike Tyson. So when Azzie, our fifteen pound, orange, tiger cat just lays there and takes the abuse, you start to wonder, hmmmm.
Just then, like a jumbo-tron showing an instant replay at a Packers game, Ryan's life started to flash in front of my eyes. It scrolled through like a Perry Mason movie ending...6 months, Azzie sleeping next to Ryan in our bed....5 months, Azzie and Ryan taking turns talking, Azzie let's Ryan win the contest...4 months, Azzie is massaging his head on Ryan's feet while eating...3 months, Ryan is in his bassinet crying and Azzie is laying at the base...2 months, Ryan comes home upset with new band-aids on his legs from his shots at the doctors-Azzie walks over and rubs up against Ryan and stops his crying....1 month, Azzie is doing the 2AM feeding and rocking Ryan in his kitty arms to stop his whaling from a colic fit....2 days old, Ryan comes home for the first time and Azzie had a "Welcome Home Ryan" banner hanging up and then changed his first diaper. Really, Azzie has been around Ryan's entire life and for the first few months of life, was his only daily interaction with people besides his mom and I. Whenever Ryan would have his colic fits as a newborn, seriously, Azzie would come into the room to either compete who's louder or just to be in the room as if he wanted to help. Either way all the other cats would run like we were starting the vacuum. Az always plays with Turdman on the Beekman and always tries to sneak through the gate during night feedings. He always wants to be in the room with Ryan no matter if it is the bedroom at night time, bath room during bath time.
This makes me happy Ryan has made such a good friend. Even though it isn't a conventional friend to have, it is a good positive influence, which he needs. Azzie is loyal, always there when you need him, never poops on the carpet, comforts Ryan when he isn't feeling well, he is always nicely dressed and almost never uses profanity. Even though they can't talk to each other, I have a feeling that they understand each other. Azzie says 'I have a tail and you think it is a toy' and Ryan thinks, 'you have a tail and I think it is a toy'. In closing, they always say that a dog is a man's best friend because it is loyal and has unconditional love. I feel that Azzie is Ryan's best friend because if anyone...anything...anycat that can cuddle you while you tug at his tail, whiskers or ears is either dumb or loyal and Azzie ain't no dummy. Sure he is just a cat and I know that life has more to offer than cats. Sure he will learn to be like his mama from his Nana, ever cared for by his teachers, Aunts(3), cousins and Uncles, learn great traits from his church and friends, but others can offer so much. Azzie is a true friend and I feel Ryan will learn from him to not just be loyal, but to be there for your friends no matter what - in good times and in bad times, happiness or hairballs, in pajamas or....well in fur.
